Fang-Kissed

Chapter 24

Raphael gets called into a meeting with the Elders and he leaves with a spring in his step after getting out of the shower. Raze and Raph murmured to one another by the door before Raphael left, more confident and a cheerful pride in his eye as he went to face the Elders.

"War strategizing?" I ask, now sitting up in bed, still naked but holding my knees to my chest. Raze had wiped himself clean with a hot wet towel, saving a shower for later.

He had also put on his black pants, but they hang low on his perfect hips. I stare at the V shaped lines of his pelvis a little too closely. Raze had gorgeous inches of thick silver hair that sat perfectly on his head. And his whole posture always reflected his personality. He was perfect – or maybe it was just what being in love felt like.

Mates.

Destined mates.

Soulmates.

"Mm, more like news my little brother won't like to hear," Raze admits quietly, while walking over to me.

"What's happening?" I whisper, suddenly anxious.

Raze sits on the bed next to me to explain, while looking at the floor, clearly deep in thought, even as he mindlessly picks up my hand to squeeze it, just to hold it, "I'm sending Raphael back to the city. We're releasing him from his duties. From being a Runner. It's better he delegates Fang Gold relationships in the city. He's better at that... he'll need the direction anyway... for his mind to focus... when shit hits the fan."

"What... are you seriously saying he's better at being a whore?" I whisper, my heart racing as I take my hand from Raze and he patiently accepts my discomfort. He's cool head is starting to enrage me, especially when he just nods, "Raze," I lower my tone, "You can't send him away," my throat clogs up, "I love him. Is that why you came here earlier with the Elders?"

Raze exhales slow and breathes in an even longer breath, looking forlorn... "I don't have time to explain it all... but Clary... I need to speak with you plainly... I lied to you for 24 hours, because I wanted to feel like everything was normal," he looks away to the balcony and the forest, "...I lost us the war, Clary... I failed everyone, and I don't... I don't even care, I saw the pain in death, I saw what I fought for, what I trained Fangs to do... what they were like in the afterlife... it was all for pain, loss and nothing gained... the only thing that matters is love, Clary, it's the only thing," Raze's voice sounds heavy, "Now. We spread the opposite news, just not to cause a panic. We said we won."

"...what are you talking about?" I whisper, so confused.

"A second-hand was taken by the wizards," Raze admits, "Bailey."

Oh. FUCK. I had completely forgotten that she ran screaming into the forest. I had been so selfish, thinking only of Raze coming back from the dead.

"Is she alive?" I whisper.

"No. I traded her... a life, for a life," Ray admits something selfish. It shocks me to my core.

"How could you do that?" I gasp.

"It doesn't matter, look, they had the advantage anyway and I had a goal to find..." Raze keeps talking and then the words disappear from the room. No sound. But his mouth moves as he explains something I can't hear.

I watch, as Raze disappears from the room slowly, still talking, but fading away. Am I dreaming?

I look around as the balcony doors break and fall off without a sound – the forest crawls in over the carpet... the room starts to glow green with the forest.

Soon, the sounds start to come back.

I start to hear noises from the forest, bugs, so many bugs buzzing around me. Namely crickets in the warm weather.